Lice or Dandruff Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Two people briefly share a hat, but they have no direct hair contact. How should this be understood in relation to lice transmission?
Sharing the hat makes transmission certain
The hat can spread nits but never live lice
Transmission through recently shared personal items is possible but less common than direct head-to-head contact
Lice remain airborne inside the hat and spread when it is removed
2. If head lice are confirmed, which approach is most appropriate?
Follow an approved product's directions carefully and use a lice comb or repeat treatment only as directed
Combine different lice treatments during the same application
Use extra product to make the treatment work faster
Treat every scalp flake as proof that another application is required
3. A child has an itchy scalp but no careful inspection has been done. What can itching alone establish?
It confirms dandruff if the itching is mild
It cannot distinguish lice from dandruff or several other causes
It rules out lice when no flakes are visible
It confirms lice if the itching is worse at night
4. Which statement about dandruff transmission is accurate?
It commonly spreads through brief head-to-head contact
It spreads when flakes land on another person's clothing
It is contagious only when the scalp is oily
Dandruff itself is not contagious
5. How do nits typically differ from loose dandruff flakes?
Nits are always bright white and larger than flakes
Nits move independently when exposed to light
Nits dissolve immediately when touched with water
Nits are oval structures firmly attached to individual hair shafts
6. You suspect head lice but cannot tell whether the specks are flakes, residue, or nits. What is a useful next step?
Judge only by whether a speck pops when squeezed
Inspect in good light with a fine-toothed lice comb and seek professional help if still unsure
Apply several lice products together to see whether itching stops
Wait for the specks to change color before inspecting again
7. Under bright light, you see several tiny oval objects stuck firmly to hairs near the scalp and then find a crawling insect. What does this combination most strongly suggest?
Ordinary dandruff caused by dry indoor air
Head lice, with possible nits attached to the hairs
Hair-product residue without an infestation
Normal hair-root tissue shed during brushing
8. A person has diffuse scalp flaking, and the flakes brush easily onto their shoulders. No crawling insects are found. Which possibility fits those observations better?
Dandruff or another flaking scalp condition
An active infestation confirmed by newly hatched lice
Nits spreading from one hair shaft to another
Lice that have temporarily stopped moving
9. How do head lice most commonly spread?
Through dandruff flakes left on furniture
Through the air when an affected person coughs
By jumping between people across a room
Through direct head-to-head or hair-to-hair contact
10. After repeated self-care, a person's scalp remains very red, painful, crusted, or develops sores. What should they do?
Seek advice from a healthcare professional rather than relying on the quiz or appearance alone
Assume persistent symptoms always mean resistant lice
Scratch away the crusts before using stronger products
Keep testing flakes by crushing them until one pops
11. Someone says a speck must be a nit because it made a popping sound when crushed. What is the most accurate response?
Only dandruff can pop because nits cannot be crushed
Any speck that pops confirms an active lice infestation
A pop is not a reliable diagnostic test; careful inspection for attached nits and live lice is more useful
A pop proves that the speck is a newly laid nit
12. Several nit-like shells are found far along the hair shafts, but repeated careful combing finds no live lice. What is the best interpretation?
Their distance from the scalp proves the infestation began that day
They may be old or empty casings; finding a live louse is stronger evidence of an active infestation
Any attached shell confirms that live lice are currently feeding
Objects far from the scalp are always dandruff rather than nits
13. What best describes dandruff?
Egg cases left behind after lice hatch
Dried residue produced by feeding lice
Visible shedding of scalp skin, often associated with oiliness or irritation
A reaction that occurs only after using a new shampoo
14. What role do household pets usually play in human head-lice infestations?
Cats are the most common source of head lice
Pets carry lice eggs even though adult lice avoid them
Human head lice do not normally live on or spread from pets
Dogs spread head lice only during warm weather
15. During a close inspection, which observation most directly supports the presence of live head lice rather than dandruff?
A small insect is seen crawling through the hair
The scalp feels itchy after sweating
White material is visible on a dark shirt collar
Several dry flakes appear around the hairline
16. What are head lice?
Microscopic mites that normally live in hair follicles
Fungal spores that collect around hair roots
Loose clusters of dead scalp skin
Small insects that live near the scalp and feed on blood